Admikis



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. SPARROW, dedd,

J. A. B. SPARROW, Admx. SLAUGHTERING APPARATUS.

No. 248,810. Patented-July 5,1881.

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(No Model.) J. HI SPAR-ROW, dedd' I .QSheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. B. SPARROW, Admx.

SLAUGHTERING APPARATUS. No. 243,810. Patented July 5,1881.

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N. PETERS mommm m. Washington. ac.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIA A. B. SPARROl V, OF GAMBRIDGEPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ADMINIS- TRATRIX OF JAMES H. SPARROW, DECEASED.

SLAUGHTERlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,810, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed April 18, 1881.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that JAMES H. SPARROW, late of Oambridgeport, in the county of Middlesex and Sta e of Massachusetts, deceased, did during his life-time invent a new and useful Improvement in Slaughtering Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to a stall into which the beef-cattleare driven one at a time, and in which they are shot, knocked in the head, or otherwise rendered insensible; and it consists of a stall of a size suitable to hold only one bullock at the same time, and provided with a sliding rear door, and a grating at its front end, in combination with a platform provided with suitable wheels or trucks, and mounted upon inclined rails within said stall, and forming a secondary and movable bottom therefor, all so arranged that when the bullock steps into the stall he must step upon the said platform-car, and when he is shot or otherwise rendered insensible he will fall upon and be supported by said car, by means of which he may be easily drawn from the stall into the desired position for bleeding him, the weight of the bullock assisting in his withdrawal from the stall, by causing the car to roll down the inclined track.

It further consists in the combination of a stall provided with inlet and exit openings, a platform-car mounted upon inclined rails and adapted to enter and form a secondary bottom for said stall, a weight connected to said car by a cord or other flexible connection, and adaptedto counterbalance saidcarwhen empty, so as to prevent it from running down the inclined track, or to draw it up said track into the stall after it has been withdrawn.

It further consists in the combination of a stall provided with inlet and exit openings, a platform-car mounted upon inclined rails within said stall and forming a secondary bottom thereto, a counterbalance -weight connected with said car, and adapted to draw it into the stall after it has been withdrawn, and to hold the empty car in its proper position within the stall, and a locking device for preventing a movement of the car down the incline when the bullock steps upon the car, and that may (No model.)

be readily disengaged to permit said car to descend the inclined track when the bullock has been shot or otherwise rendered insensible.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevation of a stallembodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 00 w on Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal section on line y g on Fig. 1, enlarged.

A is the stall, made of a suitable size to admit but one animal at atime, said stall having close sides, and provided at its rear end with a thick sliding door, A, which closes the opening after the bullock is admitted to the stall, and serves to arrest any bullets which may miss the animal. The bottom of the stall is made inclined from its rear toward its front, as is also the contiguous portions of the slaughter-house floor B, and has secured thereto two rails, a a, extending from the rear end of the stall beyond the front end of the stall to the blood-gutter G, as shown in Fig. 2.

D is a platform, provided with the upwardlyprojecting sides or cheeks D D, and with the trucks b b, which fit upon the rails to a, as shown.

To the rear end of the platform D is attached one end of a rope or chain, c, which passes over the pulley d, and has attached to its other end the weight E, of suflicient capacity to overcome the tendency of said platform to roll down the inclined rails when not loaded, and keep it in the stall.

The platform-car D is prevented from roll ing down the incline when the animal steps onto it by the spring-catch e, which engages with the front end of said platform, said catch being secured by its rear end to the wall of the stall, as shown in Fig. 3.

\F is a lever pivoted to the front post of the side wall of the stall, and connected at its lower end with the catch 6, by means of which said catch can be readily released from engagement with the platform at the desired time to permit said platform, with the dead or insen sible bullock lying thereon, to roll down the inclined track to a position outside of the stall, with the head of the animal in close proximity to the blood-gutter (l, where the veins in the neck are opened and the blood is allowed to drain from the carcass. When the blood is properlydrained therefrom the carcassis drawn off from the platform D into the desired position for skinning and dressing, and as soon as the weight of the carcass is removed therefrom the platform is drawn by the weight E into its former position in the stall, ready for another victim.

The bullock is prevented from passing out of the front of the stall, when he enters it, by the grated gate G, arranged to be moved vertically in grooves formed for the purpose in the front posts of the stall, and suspended from the cord f, which passes over the pulleys g and h, and has attached to its other end the weight H, adapted to just balance the weight of the gate G, so that said gate will remain in any desired position in which it may be placed. When the animal is driven into the stall through the rear doorway, the gate G is in the position shown in Fig. 1, and so remains till he is shot, the grated form of said gate enabling the shooting to be done through the spaces between the bars of the gate. l/Vhen the animal has fallen upon the platform D after being shot the gate G is moved upward in its bearings sufficient to permit the passage of the carcass beneath it, when the catch 0 is tripped and the platform moves out of the stall.

What is claimed is- 1. The stall A, provided with the door A and grated gate G, in combination with the platform-car D and the inclined rail-track aa,

all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the stall A, provided with the door A and the gate Gr, with the platform-car D, the inclined rails a a, the weight E, pulley cl, and the flexible connection 0, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination of the stall A, provided with the door A and the gate G, with the platform-car D, inclined rails a a, the weight E, connected with said car, as set forth, and a locking device adapted to prevent a movement of said car along the rails, substantially as and for the purposes described.

Executed at Boston, Massachusetts, this 9th day of April, A. D. 1881.

JULIA A. B. SPARROW, Administratrim of the estate of James H. Sparrow.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBAR-D, W. E. LOMBARD. 

